There's more than just UMThe letter from John Shapiro...

LETTERS

The letter from John Shapiro (Nov. 1) calls the University of Maryland's "our state school's basketball program."

If he means state-funded school, what happened to the Baltimore area's Coppin, Morgan and Towson, or others in the state such as Salisbury, Bowie, Frostburg, etc.? How about equal coverage for all.

Just who ordained UM as the state school?

Harry E. Bennett Jr.

Baltimore

Stop bashing Ravens

We all know that the Cleveland Browns were in dire financial straits when they moved here. That's why they moved to a city/state offering a better deal. How is this news? Especially, how is this sports news?

Is this bashing of the Ravens instead of reporting the news The Sun's response to the team closing practices to the media? If so, just admit it and get over it. Your paper is acting like a petulant child and, frankly, is looking bad in the process.

Thank goodness there's a good paper just to the south. At least we can get responsible, intelligent news and commentary there.

Ruth Sayers

Glen Burnie

A soccer vendetta?

Your paper leaves a lot to be desired in your coverage of semipro and pro soccer in the Maryland area. It reeks so blatantly that it seems to project a personal vendetta to the No. 1 "played" game in our community.

With loads of teams and leagues to write about, your paper chooses to cover girls high school soccer or kids leagues over the semipro and pro leagues. Do you take some kind of pleasure in adding insult to injury?

You give the NHL half a page, and we don't even have hockey played anyplace in this city.

Ron Borowy

Carney

Let's be proud of Ripken

I couldn't believe that someone from Baltimore would actually think that Cal Ripken should retire (Letters, Oct. 18).

Everyone should be proud of Ripken and what he stands for. He is the most unselfish man in baseball and the hardest working on the Orioles, yet this past year whenever something went wrong, Ripken was blamed.

Ripken was always there for his team, his presence builds confidence, yet he is blamed. He should be recognized for making a totally unselfish act, by trying to please the critics.

As for columnist Ken Rosenthal, he might as well go live in New York and write for the cheatin' Yanks, and keep his articles out of The Sun.

Donna Schrock

Kennedyville

Ravens logo for the birds

A new logo for the Ravens? Sounds good to me. My suggestion is the mean, menacing outstretched raven on the sleeve of their uniforms, the same one that will sit perched atop of the stadium some day.

I don't know how the Ravens missed this obvious choice when they selected their logo. I think it would be one of the best in the NFL.

Of course, if my suggestion is selected, all I would want is an autographed helmet or "something."

Michael E. Weaver

Dover, Del

McGwire is no role model

The vision of the ideal baseball player is one of true grit. Does Mark McGwire have it? No.

To me, his breaking of the single-season home run record is an insult to the family of Roger Maris, due to the fact that McGwire takes supplements to give him extra strength. In the past, they banned or expelled athletes in certain sports and the Olympics for doing what McGwire is doing.

How many Little Leaguers will follow the same path, not knowing what harm it will do later in life?

James E. Houston

Baltimore

NBA: good riddance

Can it really be true? Is the NBA seriously considering the cancellation of the entire 82-game schedule and playoffs?